Heidi MacDonald (The Beat) returns to join Jimmy in the annual “Best of 2017” podcast! While there were many amazing comic books, TV shows, films and more…these are the best picks that THEY happen to read/watch. They probably missed some of your favorites but hope you check out what they really enjoyed in 2017. I mean, just check out that picture above. They covered A LOT! They’re definitely more loquacious than laconic so buckle up for a long ride! So many great creators in comics this year and quite a few got multiple kudos throughout the podcast. Thanks to Penelope Bagieu, Emil Ferris, Tillie Walden, Tom King, Greg Pak, Sina Grace and many others for bringing us such amazing work last year. Looking forward to all of your future projects! Drop us a line and let us know what some of your favorites were so we can check them out. Leave your iTunes comments! 5 stars and nothing but love! Also, get a hold of us!

Jimmy is joined in studio with returning co-host, Jon Hoche! They mourn some losses, chat about Vietgone (the off-Broadway play that Jon is performing in) and Jimmy officially welcomes the Christmas season! News includes: Boom Studios announced a Steven Universe ongoing comic series, Eddie Murphy was almost in a Star Trek film, X-Men Blue and Gold are coming in April, Direct Currents Magazine addresses the bloody Watchmen button, the new Iceman solo comic series from Sina Grace/Alessandro Vitti is coming next spring and more! Big thanks to Rachel for sending in her awesome review of Moana! Leave your iTunes comments! 5 stars and nothing but love! Also, get a hold of us!

On this episode the G-Crew discuss Darwyn Cooke’s DC: The New Frontier and the hit Netflix series Stranger Things. Shout outs all around, actual factual listener mail, and even a bit of video game talk! Enjoy!

Batman Meets The Green Hornet in this miniseries within the Batman 66 universe. This comic is a sequel to the 2-part episode from the Batman 66 TV show. Does the comic provide anything other than a trip down memory lane? Dylan and John have a great time exploring this work and breaking down what it did well and where it fell flat. Also, John got to try out his Bill Dozer announcer voice in a special introduction to the episode.

In a time without superheroes, Batman sightings are reported. But isn’t he an urban legend? Paul Pope brings his unique, inventive style to the Batman of 2039 in Batman Year 100. While new characters stand in for Robin and Oracle, is there a reason there’s no Alfred analogue? Why do Paul Pope characters have big lips? Tim and Brandon discuss this and more.

From Batman 2039, we move to Batman 1966! When production of the Adam West Batman series was gearing up, Harlan Ellison (writer of the Star Trek episode “City on the Edge of Forever”, and much else of note) submitted a treatment for an episode featuring Two-Face. While the treatment was accepted, it never made it to the script stage. Finally, in 2014, DC released a comics adaptation of this story, Batman ’66: The Lost Episode, scripted by Len Wein and drawn by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (cover by Alex Ross). Does it feel like the show? Who might have played Two-Face? What does this book tell us about the differences between making a TV show and making a comic? Tim and Paul slide down the Batpoles for a closer look.

Now that we’ve set the stage, it’s time to get down to business and really look at the Batman show — and where else to start but the beginning? We talk about how the series made its way to the air, and the pilot story arc Hi Diddle Riddle and Smack in the Middle, starring Frank Gorshin as the Riddler, and Jill St. John as Molly.

Like many who grew up in the ’60s and ’70s (and perhaps even ’80s and later), Tim and Paul had the course of their lives changed by the 1966 Batman TV show, from the types of play they did growing up to their present-day interests.

In our premiere episode, we discuss the allure of the show and its effects on us — and invite you to share your own stories!

What’s the purrfect way to kick off year TWO of Comic Book Central? With actress Lee Meriwether, of course! Lee joins me in the Lair to talk about the original Batman movie and her role as the felonious feline, Catwoman!

I’m finding that I buy more and more from Comixology, the leading source for digital comics! So it’s great that I could interview Chip Mosher, their vice president for Communication and Marketing, about many of the things they’re doing at their website and the apps that make reading comics easy on a variety of different devices. We discussed Batman ’66, and how that successful guided view native comic comes to be. I learned a lot talking with him, and I’m sure you will, too! To check out their offerings, be sure to go to comixology.com or your favorite app store!